Sometimes we all need a little push or nudge to get our creative juices flowing in top form. I use a series of different writing exercises and prompts that I have learned through the years from college professors and other writers. Most of these have helped me to grow my writing, as well as get my creativity back into form when life has given me a left turn or two.

Banish Stress, Anxiety, and Fear

Stress can also put a clamp on your creativity. I have learned a great process to use to get rid of stress, anxiety, and fear. Free yourself whenever you want with this process. Many people have used this to help combat anxiety disorders, and many therapists and other professionals have proven in their research the benefits of this little exercise. I find it works wonders for me.

Take fifteen minutes alone and write out the worst case scenarios that you feel could or might happen from what is making you anxious, or fearful. For example, I had a fear about publishing my own writing after years of working behind the scenes.

I sat down and wrote freely for 15 minutes. When my timer chimed, alerting me to the end of my 15 minutes of writing, I deleted the writing and made a note of the date and topic I used. I found that I immediately felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Plus, I was able to concentrate and access my creativity for my current book project. The results you gain from this will last for a long time. Give it a try and banish anxiety, stress, and fear out of your life today.

One last tip: Don’t look at what you are writing. Turn off your internal editor. Just free write your thoughts and feelings without editing them.

Writing Prompts

Below are some writing prompts I use to get my creativity going when I am working, or to help me focus if I am distracted.

This is my favorite: Write as though you were painting a picture. I have always wanted to be an artist. However, I am not blessed with that talent. I can’t even draw stick people correctly. I have friends who are artists and I love to see their creations. So, to help me jump start my writing one day, I sat down and wrote about a nature scene that is outside my front window. I wrote it as if I were painting a picture. I described the colors and shapes as well as the shades and lighting. I wrote for about twenty-five minutes without stopping. When I was done my creativity was in full blossom and I was able to jump into my project with new joy and excitement.

Find a travel brochure online or use one you have at home. Read the brochure completely then write a 500 word description of one afternoon you spent at this locale, even if you have never been there.

Take a 15 minute walk and then write 50 words about what you saw and heard. Be sure to add in what you heard. If you were outside, you can also add in what you felt, like the wind, or summer sun.

Read a newspaper or magazine article that you are interested in. After reading it, make a list of all the things you would like to know about the topic that were not included in the article.

Write 1,000 words about the funniest event or time in your life. Try to include as much detail as possible, including any dialogue you can recall.

Write 1,000 words about the most special time in your life.

Take numbers 5 and 6 and rewrite one or both of them from a different point of view. For example, if you wrote them from a first person perspective, rewrite them in third person.

If you have some favorite writing prompts or tricks to stoke your creativity head on over to the forum and share it with us!